Norfolk farmer confronts minister over inheritance tax

A farmer who challenged a minister over the inheritance tax changes said he did not think the government was listening to the industry’s concerns.

Mark Means, who grows crops near King’s Lynn, confronted Daniel Zeichner after he gave a speech at the Norfolk Farming Conference earlier on Tuesday.

Zeichner had told the conference that the reform was part of a “difficult set of decisions” by the government.

Mr Means said he felt the minister had only provided “platitude after platitude”.

Under the government plans announced in last October’s budget, a 20% inheritance tax on agricultural assets worth more than £1m will be introduced, although the threshold for some farmers to pay will be £3m.

Mr Means, who was named farmer of the year by Farmers Weekly in 2024, said he hoped to pass on his business at Terrington St Clement to one of his two sons.

But the 55-year-old said there was “not a lot of incentive” to invest if “20% will be taken away if we don’t pass it through a trust”.

Zeichner had given a speech to the conference where he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to getting farmers better pay from supermarkets.

He also said the government was taking action to prevent the spread of diseases like bird flu and bluetongue.

Zeichner is minister for food security and rural affairs.

The packed audience at the Royal Norfolk Showground near Norwich politely applauded him, but he was questioned over the controversial plans for inheritance tax.

“The UK economy was not in a good place when we came into government,” he told the room.

“I was shocked by what I found in the department I inherited.”

Mr Means, who spoke to Zeichner after he left the stage, said he was not convinced farmers were being listened to.

“Its platitude and platitude from the minister – ‘we’re going to improve the borders, sort out a fair price for you from the supermarkets’,” he said, speaking to the BBC after the confrontation.

“Those are all things they think are music to the ears of a farmer, but are they actually going to do any of it?”

He added that whilst he had not taken part in the most recent tractor demonstration at Westminster, he did previously and was now thinking about going to the next one.

“It’s really wired me up to go again to London.”

A government spokeswoman said it would invest £5bn into farming over the next two years.

She reiterated that the new agricultural and business property reliefs would mean farmers would pay a “reduced” inheritance tax rate of 20% rather than the standard 40%.

Payments could be spread over 10 years interest free, the spokeswoman added.

“This is a fair and balanced approach, which fixes the public services we all rely on, affecting around 500 estates a year,” she explained.